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Educators to be trained to fight suicide among students

Staff Report
Published 11:59 a.m. ET May 27, 2015

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Signs Matter: Early Detection will show K-12 teachers how and when to express concern and refer students to counseling staff or administration

Signs Matter: Early Detection will show K-12 teachers how and when to express concern and refer students to counseling staff or administration.(Photo: Photo courtesy of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)

Story Highlights

More than one in six high school students will consider suicide

24 states in the U.S. have laws dictating mandatory suicide prevention school personnel training

NEW YORK – More than one in six high school students will consider suicide. To help address this statistic, the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, joined with LEGAL ONE and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care to launch a new online training program Wednesday for educators on how to prevent suicide in our schools.

Signs Matter: Early Detection is designed tol show K-12 teachers how and when to express concern and refer students to counseling staff or administration.

“Educators can play a critical role in the fight against suicide because they are in a unique position to notice changes in the mental health of their students and identify signs of suicide risk,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of AFSP, in a prepared statement. “The Signs Matter school-based training is clear and simple, and it can help our teachers save lives.”

“This may be the most important training we do,” said David Nash, director of LEGAL ONE. “There is no greater legal or moral obligation than the need to keep our children healthy and safe. Signs Matter empowers educators to effectively work together, so that students at risk do not fall through the cracks.”

“In order to prevent suicide, everyone must play a role in building a safety net for our children. All school personnel play a critical role in this effort. Signs Matter brings together leading experts on child psychology, suicidal ideation, school counseling, bullying, school law and school administration. Their straightforward insights and advice will empower educators to take effective action to help kids,” said Christopher Kosseff, president and CEO, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.

There are 24 states in the U.S. which have laws dictating mandatory suicide prevention school personnel training. This program will fulfill many state requirements for educators to have two hours of instruction on suicide prevention.

The online, school-based training program includes:

• A close look at the most common mental health problems and how they typically present in a school setting

• Real-world scenarios (vignettes) in an elementary, middle and high school setting to help educators better identify students in need of help

• An online assessment tool to ensure that all participants have gained an understanding of the material covered

• Resources for understanding a school’s role in suicide prevention

• Review of legal requirements for schools to keep in mind

Learn more by visiting www.afsp.org/signsmatter and http://www.legalonenj.org/signsmatter.